Dr. Vasant Lad: Ayurvedic Art Of Spiritual Healing For Mind And Body, Part 1

Are you wanting to really feel good, feel settled in yourself in an inclusive, holistic way?

The ideal model of health, as explained in Ayurveda, is called svastha. ‘Sva’ means self, ‘stha’ means situated, located, or grounded. An individual who is grounded within his or her pure being is called svastha, which is the root of perfect health. That person is balanced in the physical body (sharira), the mind (sattva) and the conscious principle or self (atma). This tripod is the foundation of health.

~ Vasant Lad, The Role of Devotion in Life, Ayurveda Today, Summer 2006

What factors contribute to our unique physical characteristics, mental predispositions, and emotional makeup? How do imbalanced thoughts affect the balance of our digestive system, and vise-versa? How do unprocessed emotions inhibit the proper functioning of our nervous system? Where does spiritual practice fit in – and how do we know what type of practice is appropriate for us?

The tradition of Ayurveda places a great emphasis on the amalgamation of body-mind-spirit and the role this intimate alliance plays in either maintaining health or creating disease.